Philosophy
Guna
Guṇaगुण· GOO-nahquality, strand
The gunas are the three fundamental qualities of nature in yoga philosophy — sattva, rajas and tamas — that combine to shape everything, including the mind.
Sattva is clarity and balance, rajas is activity and restlessness, tamas is inertia and heaviness. Yoga aims to cultivate sattva while balancing the three.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the three gunas?
- Sattva (clarity, harmony), rajas (activity, passion) and tamas (inertia, dullness). All of nature and the mind are said to be woven from these three qualities.